Heart of a Raven
by RiverTear980
Summary: After the Ceremonial Duel that seperated Yugi and Atemu, Yugi unveiled his true feelings. Will they ever come together again? And will they ever find true happiness? Inspired by Edgar Allen Poe's "The Raven" Puzzleshipping, shounen-ai, yaoi, all that jazz
1. Chapter 1

"_Once upon a midnight dreary while I ponder weak and weary,_

_over many a quaint and curious volume of forgotten lore._

_While I nodded, nearly napping, suddenly there came a tapping,_

_as of someone gently rapping, rapping at my chamber door._

_'Tis some visitor' I muttered, 'tapping at my chamber door-_

_only this and nothing more.'_

The moon hung high in the sky, giving slight illumination to the sleeping city below. Not a sound was heard; the world seemed to have paused to take in the simple beauty. The still was broken, however, by a person clashing through the streets: a boy with unique tri-colored hair that stuck out in several different directions. His purple eyes glistened with tears as he ran through along the alleys. He slowed to a stop in one of the darkened passages and bent over, attempting to catch his breath. When he was calmer, he reached into the chest pocket of his blue jacket apprehensively, and grasped the small switchblade within. Flipping it, his tears fell with higher intensity, and started whispering to himself,

"I can't deal with being without you... I'll join you in the afterlife soon..."

His hands trembling with emotion, he descended the knife towards his exposed wrist, and proceeded to make striated slashes on it. He hacked mercilessly, making every intention to rip his veins and arteries asunder: to kill.

As thick life-blood poured slowly from his flesh, he raised his face into the gray clouds, and cried out,

"I-I still love you, Atemu! We _will_ meet again soon!"

_'My Pharaoh'_

_The spirit stirred, but remained unwilling to awaken from his eternal sleep._

_'My Pharaoh, awaken.'_

_Keeping his eyes closed, the spirit responded:_

_"What is it, voice?"_

_'There is something you still must do. I will send you there, but you will not exist as a spirit. You will be granted a physical body to live as a mortal freely. Will you accept?'_

_The spirit pondered. He was only just released to spend eternity in the afterlife. Was he prepared to return to the world of the living? He decided quickly. He had many reasons to return to where he came from._

_Now, fully awake, the spirit stood up; revealing a strong stature and an aura of confidence. Opening his eyes to show deep crimson irises, they pierced through the surrounding darkness._

_"I accept."_

_'Be wary, Pharaoh Atemu...'_

_He was engulfed by a strong burst of light, and vanished._

As the light faded, Atemu found himself standing in the cool tenebrosity of the night. Light raindrops fell on his face as he gazed into the heavens. Examining his surroundings briefly, he realized they were very familiar to him! This city was the place that he spent most of his time with his friends: Domino City; and somewhere within the midnight streets his dear Aibou was eagerly awaiting his return. The one he loved wholeheartedly: Yugi Motou. Even though he appeared as a child, his heart was mature while still being pure and loving.

Atemu did not know how long had passed since the Ceremonial Duel that granted him passage to the afterlife, but judging only on the general outlook of the city in comparison to his memories, it must have been at least two or three years.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sounds of hushed whimpering, accompanied by the coppery scent of fresh blood. Atemu's eyes widened in realization: this was Yugi's scent, without a doubt.

_'What's happened to him? What's going on?'_ he thought, panicking.

Atemu dashed through the blackened alleyways, rain falling ever harder on his tanned skin. Relying only on his senses to find him was difficult enough, but since they no longer shared a mind-link, it made the already near-impossible task even more so. However, before too long had passed, Atemu came across a small heap lying in a corner of a dumpster: a scrawny, crumpled boy with spiky hair covered in blood. Tears began to amass in the former Pharaoh's eyes as he fell to the ground in front of him.

"Yugi? Yugi, wake up! It's me, I've come back! Just please: open your eyes!" Atemu nearly screamed at the lump at the point of desperation.

There was no response to his terror.

He tried to feel for a pulse in his neck. After much searching, he managed to find a weak beat. Yugi was hardly breathing either; only taking in shallow breaths. Carefully lifting the small body off the ground, Atemu carried Yugi on his back, and ran full-speed out of the alley to make his was to Domino General Hospital.

_'Don't die, Yugi! If you do, I'll never be able to forgive myself for letting you die...'_

"I'm coming for you..."

_'Open your eyes! I'm right here, beside you!'_

"...mou hitori no boku..."

_'Aibou!'_

_**Riv: I do not own "The Raven" in any way, shape, or form, and I do not claim to own it either. It was written by the poetic genius, Edgar Allen Poe. **_

_**Yugi: I actually have more than one emotion in this scenario! Hurray! Happiness is for losers xD**_

_**Tea: NOES! MY YUGI-MUFFIN HAS GONE EMO!**_

_**Yugi: Oh no! It's Tea everyone! RUN AWAY!**_

_**Riv: Ahahaha! Review if you liked it, and review if you didn't! I love reviews, and all of you! Lawl cookies and hugs for everyone!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: RiverTear980 does not own "The Raven": it was written by the poetic genius Edgar Allen Poe. I do not own Yu-Gi-Oh either. It belongs to Kazuki Takahashi. But if I did own it, there would be tendershipping, puzzleshipping and puppyshipping coming out of the proverbial roof. Please don't sue me.**_

_Ah, I distinctly remember it was in the bleak December_

_and each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor._

_Eagerly I wished the morrow- vainly I had sought to borrow_

_from my books of surcease sorrow- sorrow for the lost Lenore-_

_For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels named Lenore-_

_Nameless here, forevermore."_

_Atemu's life points had hit zero. This would be their final farewell: he was given passage to the afterlife after 5,000 years of waiting. His time as a spirit tied to the Sennen Puzzle was over; and even though Yugi should have been happy, he could not help but be sad. Waves of emotion hit Yugi like a tsunami: tears welling up thick and heavy in his eyes. Seeing the despair in the other's heart, Atemu walked slowly across the hall towards the crying boy; trying his best not to break down crying himself._

_"...Aibou..." The Pharaoh whispered sympathetically. The smaller boy twitched upon hearing his voice. He picked himself up and flung himself into an embrace with his Yami._

_"I-I know you need to move on to...to the afterlife, but I don't want you to leave me!" Yugi cried. "I _need_ you!"_

_Atemu gazed at his Hikari, his face filled with both happiness and guilt. He ran his long pale fingers through Yugi's spikes._

_"I know, Aibou... But please: don't worry. I'll always be with you, even after I'm gone._

_Stone gates behind them opened with a loud clatter. Warm light filtered into the underground chamber as their contact reluctantly broke. Atemu turned to face the gates and Yugi fell back onto his knees. Everyone standing behind the platform: Joey, Tea, Kaiba, Mokuba, Ryou, Marik, Ishizu, Odion and Grandpa Motou were distracted by the brilliance of the light; their eyes transfixed upon it to notice anything else._

_As Atemu advanced towards the light, the images of his Ancient Egyptian companions materialized. Taking in a deep breath, he prepared to cross over. He was stopped, however, by a small voice calling his name from behind him._

_"A-Atemu!..."_

_He stopped dead in his tracks, and whipped his head around to see Yugi, now without tears, stumbling incoherently towards him. When he was close enough to his Yami to feel the warmth of his skin, he whispered shyly,_

_"I'll never forget about you, Atemu...because I-I love you. And I always have..."_

_Before Yugi could exhale after his confession, he found himself in his Yami's arms, tighter and more intimately than he would have ever thought possible. The ancient musky scent of the Pharaoh blanketed Yugi as he reverted back to his original form in the light of the gates. Darkened skin caressed pale, and Atemu's warm hand cupped Yugi's jaw, angling_

_his face. From there, their lips met._

_Yugi had to admit, it was nothing like he had ever imagined. He thought that Atemu may have not responded to, or even downright rejected his feelings. But instead, they were answered with Atemu's own. Racing heartbeats were obvious to each other as they kissed. Their eyes had since closed, and they were getting more passionate in the kiss. Atemu's tongue flicked across Yugi's, metaphorically asking permission to enter his mouth. The latter permitted with enthusiasm. They playfully touched each other, and Yugi wrapped his arms around Atemu's neck._

_Atemu suddenly broke away from their kiss, startling the Hikari momentarily. The Yami's crimson eyes were clouded with pain and sadness, but determination shone through. He gazed into his lover's violet pools and grasped the sides of his arms._

_"I love you too, Yugi. But I want you-no, I __need __you to forget about me. In all technicality I'm dead, and I have to pass on to the spirit world. We...can't be together. I'm sorry..."_

_Yugi couldn't believe what he was hearing. How could Atemu want him to so easily forget about him: his first friend, and first love? Tears were welling up in his eyes once again, and Atemu turned away from his crying Aibou towards the shimmering gates. He raised his hand casually in farewell, and quickly advanced towards the opening._

_"Ja ne."_

_Yugi completely broke down as Atemu vanished into the dimming light._

**A/N:**

**Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed the second chapter! It was more of a flashback to the C.D., as you have obviously read previous. Umm…. Yeah. So…. How are you today/tonight/this morning? I'm alright, getting a lot of writing done lately, so in a pretty good mood… **

**If you review, I'll love you forever! And give you lots of yummy foodstuffs!**

**Bakura: And before she gets a chance to give 'em to you, I'm going to eat them all! Mwahahaha!**

**Riv:… You're mean…**


	3. Chapter 3

**Edited! Just because I'm completely obsessive about editing everything! ^^**

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><p>"<em>And the silken sad uncertain rustling of each purple curtain <em>

_thrilled me-filled me with fantastic terrors never known before._

_So that now, to still the beating of my heart, I stood repeating:_

"'_Tis some visitor entreating entrance at my chamber door- _

_this it is, and nothing more.""_

* * *

><p><em>Yugi didn't know what to do with himself anymore. Ever since Atemu had passed on, he hardly left the game shop. He alienated himself from his friends, claiming that he wanted "alone-time." Everyone knew, however, that "alone" was the last thing he needed.<em>

_Even when Yugi's days were damned enough, the true horror of his life began when he fell asleep, __**if**__ he ever did fall asleep. He was consistently plagued by terrifying nightmares; always reoccurring every night in his mind. He flashed back to happier times with his friends: Duelist's Kingdom, Battle City, and even the struggles with the Seal of Orichalcos; and they all revolved around one central figure- his Yami. He would watch the content days pass by until the end of the dream. This was the point where they would turn into nightmares. He dreamt about Atemu suffering for thousands of years in the Shadow Realm, being controlled and manipulated by his emotions to serve Dartz and the Orichalcos; thus sealing Yugi away, but mostly of the end of the Ceremonial Duel. _

_The last day Yugi saw Atemu was both the happiest, and the saddest day of his life. He had finally told him his true feelings towards him, and he accepted and returned them; only to leave him immediately after. For months, Yugi could still feel Atemu's warm lips against his. But his love wanted him to abandon his memory after he left? That caused an overbearing of pain on his heart. He couldn't help but hate his Yami for that._

_Yugi would wake up screaming and crying after every night terror. Grandpa would rush into his bedroom, no matter how late at night, to try to comfort him out of his dreamlike trance. After hours of consolation, Yugi would slowly fall back asleep, but would continue to whimper throughout the duration of the night. _

_After a few weeks of these relentless experiences had passed, Grandpa finally took his grandson to a doctor, and then a psychiatrist. Neither of them could find a physiological reason to them, but determined that they were brought on by "unspecified emotional trauma." He was prescribed strong anti-depressants and sedatives for his symptoms. _

_Unfortunately, neither of the medications proved useful. Yugi still had nightmares of increasing intensity, and had even more difficulty falling asleep than before. He also started becoming incredibly aggressive when he was ever challenged or questioned regarding any matter. He didn't even play Duel Monsters anymore; not because of his aggression, but because it reminded him too much of Yami, and he could never make it past the first few turns without becoming overly emotional._

_One night, after a particularly daunting experience, Yugi's brain subconsciously focused on the bottles of medication he kept beside his bed. _

_He devised a fool-proof plan._

_Yugi reached out and grabbed the small orange bottles and dumped their contents out onto his desk. There were currently twenty two anti-depressants and sixteen sleeping pills. He popped two of each, but it wasn't enough. Yugi clambered over the pills until there was naught but one anti-depressant pill remaining on the desk. He gingerly placed the pill back into its bottle, and placed both containers back on the bedside table._

_Everything was spinning fuzzily now. Yugi could hardly maintain his balance as he lost feeling in both of his legs. Stumbling around in a daze, he tripped over an old notebook, and crashed ungracefully into the desk, shattering several picture frames and paperweights; and waking Grandpa._

* * *

><p>In unconsciousness, the youth was in complete euphoria. His heart knew no pain or sadness anymore, and his soul felt free. There was also a familiar warmth surrounding him...such a familiar feeling... it was-<p>

* * *

><p><em>Yugi awoke suddenly to a massive pain in his stomach. He smelled antiseptic, and all he could hear was an odd beeping sound. Opening his eyes slowly, he looked around, and saw not only Grandpa, but Joey, Kaiba, Mokuba, Tristan, Tea and Ryou looking at him with concern. <em>

"_Oh, he's awake!"Mokuba called quietly to the rest of his friends gathered there. Joey uncrossed his arms and sauntered towards the monotone hospital bed Yugi was laying in. His eyes were illegible, but you could tell that there was a lot of emotion behind them. When the blonde was closer to Yugi, he clenched his fists and lowered his face to meet his friend's. _

"_...Why...? Yug, you're the last person on th' planet I would have expected _this _from! Why'd ya wanna kill yourself? You haven't talked to us for months, and nobody knows what's goin' on with ya!" There were tears in his eyes as he said this._

_Tea piped up in response. "Yugi, we're all here for you. We're your friends, but we don't even know what's going on inside your head anymore. Ever since the Pharaoh left, you've changed so much that I hardly remember who you are anymore."_

_Upon mentioning Atemu, Yugi's nostrils flared and eyes narrowed. He glared at Tea and yelled, "You don't know anything! You didn't have your life torn apart by a spirit that spurned your feelings and then left you completely alone! I want to find him to tear his fucking eyes out! I'm sick and tired of all the nightmares I've been having about him! I love him, but he just makes me so...angry!"_

_The group stared at Yugi with "deer-in-the-headlights" looks. Yugi flinched at his own outburst, and lowered his gaze to his hands. He noticed now that he had been clenching his fingers so tight that blood was welling up from his palms. Ryou took in a deep breath and was the first one to speak; or more accurately, yell._

"_You think you're the only one that was affected by all this? Dream on Yugi. You didn't think I felt the same about my Yami? I hated him, and loved him; but I never wanted to kill myself when he disappeared." He slapped Yugi across the face, leaving the room with an echo of the sound. "You need to grow up and stop living in the past."_

_Yugi stared at the whitette as he stomped out of the room in a rage. Everyone's eyes followed him, but nobody dared move a muscle. 'Ryou was never a person that would speak up or get angry with anyone! I guess Bakura's mannerisms rubbed off on him after time.' he thought to himself. _

"_So, what are you going to do now?" The silence was broken by Kaiba, unexpectedly. He never showed any sort of emotion for anyone other than Joey, so everyone was shocked at his apparent show of concern. _

"_...Nothing. I'm going to sleep, so go away." Yugi muttered quietly. He pulled the hospital sheets over his head and closed his eyes. His friends whispered,_

"_I'll see you guys later.": Tea_

"_See ya later, Yug. C'mon Seto, Mokuba.": Joey_

"_Feel better soon, ok Yugi?": Tristan_

_Grandpa was the only one who remained silent throughout the conversation. He remained in the hospital room and sat in the chair in the corner exhausted. He rubbed his temples in frustration. 'This is all my fault. I was the one that gave the Millenium Puzzle to Yugi...How could this have gone so wrong?' he thought to himself. As he sat, his exhaustion caught up with him, and he fell into a hard state of sleep._

_When Yugi was sure his Grandpa was asleep and everyone had left, he pulled back the covers of the bed. His stomach still hurt from whatever they had done while he was unconscious, but he didn't stop for a second while he stood up. He paused, however, to give a silent farewell to his grandfather. Night after night he had helped him through his _issues_, and all he gave in return were more things to worry about. _

'_Gomen. I just _have_ to see him.' Yugi mouthed soundlessly. _

**A/N: Well hello there. Have I seen you around often? Why, as a matter of fact, I have, because you're all still reading this ^^ **

**Bakura: You sound like a creep.**

**Riv: How do you know that I'm not a creep to begin with?**

**Bakura: Touché.**

**Riv: And something I forgot to mention in the last chapter but you may have already figured it out, Yami is indeed a total and complete ASSHOLE! ...occasionally. **

**Bakura: Don't you mean "all of the time"?**

**Riv: No, thats for Yugi being a total spazzy drama queen. Mostly... And yes, I do have Tendershipping and implied Puppyshipping in there. Now Ryou-kun, would you like to do the honours?**

**Ryou: *sigh* RiverTear980 does not own "The Raven" or "Yu-Gi-Oh". They are the creations of Edgar Allen Poe and Kazuki Takahashi, respectively. She still does not own a soul, but she is trying to find one on Ebay. It's not really working.**

**Riv: Why thank you, Ryou-kun. *gives a chocolate cake* you may share that with everyone if you wish.**

**Bakura: *puppy eyes***

**Ryou: ...ok. *gives half the cake to Bakura***

**Bakura: Yum! Riv's cakes are the best ^^**

**Riv: Yes...and all of you very nice and brilliant people that review, fave and alert this (which many have already, thank you very VERY much :D) will get their own cake... and if you bash, I may or may not put just a little poison in the cake... maybe.**

**Super special awesome thanks out to yugixyamiyaoilover, -Breanna-Higurashi-, Doragon-chan and YamiHeart for reviewing! I made them really yummy cake ^^**


	4. Chapter 4

**My heart out to yugixyamiyaoilover and Doragon-chan for reviewing the last chapter! You guys are super special awesome ^^**

* * *

><p>'<em>Presently my soul grew stronger, hesitating then no longer,<em>

"_Sir," said I, "or Madam, truly your forgiveness I implore;_

_but the fact is I was napping, and so gently you came rapping,_

_and so faintly you came tapping: tapping at my chamber door,_

_that scarce I heard you"- here I opened wide the door,-_

_Darkness there and nothing more.'_

* * *

><p>Yugi's hands were cold. In fact, everything was frigid, soaked by rain and dashed by wind. But there was something warm...and a strength emanating from the warmth. He could feel the wind continuing to penetrate his bones as he bobbed by... <em>wait. Bobbed? 'I'm not moving, am I?' <em>Someone was carrying him piggy-back style, and running quickly. He knew this feeling, this rain soaked scent...this similarity someone very dear to him... He couldn't see who it was, but he already knew:

"Y-Yami..." he whispered to himself before being reclaimed by the shadows of his unconscious.

* * *

><p>"Y-Yami..." Yugi whispered quietly. The Egyptian stiffened. <em>Was he awake?<em> Looking over his shoulder, he confirmed that he was still passed out. Blood continued to trail off his left arm at an alarming rate however. Whatever had happened to him was clearly _not _a random attack: the wound was too deep and well placed. Whoever did this meant to kill him... '_Who the hell would want to do that though? Aibou isn't the sort of person to make serious enemies like that...would he?' What has occurred since I last saw him?'_

As they continued quickly through the drowned midnight streets, Atemu came upon his desired destination: Domino General Hospital. Rain was still falling on his pale face when he got there. Pausing briefly to ensure he got the location correct, he continued into the section of the building that was titled "Urgent Care". _'If anyone needs 'urgent care', it's Yugi...'_

The rush of the heated air blew into both of their waterlogged and limp hair. That wasn't all that rushed past him, though. The hospital seemed to be in an uproar! Nurses and doctors were running everywhere, and there were loud projections of voices coming from far away. In blind confusion, Atemu approached one of the nurses. She was a small blonde around twenty, and she was carrying a clipboard and a large file.

"Excuse me, my friend needs to see a doctor right away, he hurt his arm pretty badly, and he's lost a lot of blood. Is there anyone available at the moment?"

She looked up at the Yami, and looked back at the clipboard. Her eyes narrowed suddenly before she turned around to her colleagues and yelled,

"He's right here! I found him! The boy that got out on suicide watch!"

This time, Atemu's eyes widened in shock.

"W-what? Suicide watch! I just got here, what are you talking about?"

The nurse looked incredibly confused at what he had said. "Aren't you Yugi Motou?"

Atemu could literally hear a mental snap in his mind. _'Yugi? What the hell have you been doing? You're on fucking suicide watch for Ra's sake!' _He looked behind him at his dear friend still hanging from his back. His face was ghost-white and his eyes had extremely dark circles under them. The nurse shifted to see what Atemu was looking at behind him. With an "oh shit" expression, she ran around to Yugi and pulled him off his Yami's back. Handing him to one of the stronger employees around her, she indicated Atemu to follow her after them.

"Are you his brother or something? You certainly look alike." she asked nonchalantly.

Of course he wasn't going to tell the in-depth truth. "Y-yes." he answered.

"Well, obviously you haven't heard: he has been having night terrors for the past few months, and he displayed symptoms of depression, he was prescribed anti-depressants and sedatives to try to help that, he tried to kill himself by overdosing on -"

All of this was too much for Atemu to handle right now. He punched the wall beside him in frustration. "Dammit, Aibou...You are such an idiot..." Seeing at his Hikari being carried and bandaged by the hoards of doctors surrounding him, he felt more than upset: he was filled with feelings of guilt and self-loathing. _'This is all my fault in entirety. I-I'm just the worst person ever: I told him that I loved him, and then I abandoned him...'_

His thoughts were interrupted by shouting. Bolting his face up to forwards, he was shocked to see Yugi battling out with the doctors trying to bandage his wounds. His face was full of life, but still disturbingly sad.

"Get off me! Leave me the hell alone you bastards!" he yelled infuriated. He was flailing wildly, but the staff persevered. Atemu dashed to Yugi from behind, and grabbed him to stop his rebellion.

"Y-Yugi! Calm down! Get a hold of yourself!" the Yami pleaded. "You're going to re-open your wounds!"

Yugi froze like liquid nitrogen. Didn't even twitch. He turned his head slowly, and saw _him_. Atemu. The Atemu that had left him all alone after he passed on...was right in front of him. His mind was blocked off from any other mental or physical stimulus; everything was fixated on his Yami. He could feel his fists clench. The next thing he knew, he was on top of Yami, strangling him. _'This guy...'_ Yugi thought madly. He couldn't control his impulses anymore. His entire being was telling him, screaming at him, to destroy his Yami. The crimson eyes that looked into his clouded violet did not show any intent of fighting back, but showed no sign of allowance. '_No!' _Yugi cried inwardly _'I can't! I won't! He means the world to me! I can't bear to hurt him!' _Yugi's grip on Atemu's throat loosened, and he trembled violently.

"M-mou hitori no boku...?" Yugi whimpered.

"Aibou..."

Yugi erupted in a burst of tears and emotion, and laid on his Yami for what seemed like years. Atemu winced, never before seeing as much feeling coming from his Hikari before now. Relaxing, he ran his fingers through Yugi's hair, and sighed,

"I'm back."

* * *

><p><strong>AN**

**Bakura: ... I am disappoint. I wanted to see Yugi murder the Pharaoh. That would have been very satisfying. **

**Riv: Shush you, or I'm taking away your chocolate.**

**Bakura: Whatever. I don't even like chocolate!**

**Riv: *GASP!* Fine then. Hey Ryou, get over here a sec.**

**Ryou: ...ok...?**

**Riv: *whispers to Ryou***

**Ryou: hehehehe...**

**Bakura: What?**

**Riv: Oh, nothing. Let's just say, in ****When the Snow Falls**** you will get a...pleasant surprise... Hah. **

**Bakura: O.O Please don't hurt me.**

**Akane: Hey. Why don't you update WtSF anyway? **

**Riv: Because shut up. Now...MARIK! DISCLAIM!**

**Marik: *appears* where the EFF am I?**

**Bakura: Hell.**

**Riv: Marik-chan~ Disclaim desu before I persecute desu~**

**Marik: TT-TT I value my life. RiverTear980 doesn't own "The Raven" or Yu-Gi-Oh in any way, shape or form. They are the creations of Edgar Allen Poe and Kazuki Takahashi respectively. She is poor, so even if you do sue her for copyright infringement, she will only be able to pay you a maximum of 27.5 cents. Don't even bother. Also, her soul came in the mail. It was defective.**

**Riv: I wasted $200,000,000,000,000,000.99 on a defective soul... At least it came with the power to defy gravity!**

**Bakura: ...fail.**

**So... Review? I promise no flying frying pans will impact your skull ^^**

**Bakura: still O.O**

**Riv: uh... fresh pie too... you pick the flavour... **


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